Ribbon-feeding mechanism for type-writers.



No. 871,373. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

G. W. SPONSEL.

RIBBON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1905 ATTORNEYS 'able others skilled in t CHARLES W. SPONSEL, OF HARTFORD, COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW

PATENT OFFICE.

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PARKER. MACHINE YORK, A CORPORATION 'OF NEW YORK.

RIBBON-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS;

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August is. 1905. Serial No. 274.662.

Patented. Nov. 19, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CHARLES 'W. SPoNsEL, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Feeding Mechanism for Type Writers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptiom-such as will enpertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to typewritin machines andthe like and although capable of usein many relations and in difierent types of machines is especiall adapted for use in those known as silent typewriters and has for one of its objects to provide feeding means for the ribbon.

Another object is to provide a ribbonfeeding device ada ted to operate silently.

Other objects W1 1 be in part obvious and in. artpointed out hereinafter.

he invention accordingly consists in features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will ;-be exem lified in the mechanism hereinafter describe 'andthe scope of the application of so i which will be indicated in the following claims.

' f :In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated one of the several possible embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the ribbon feeding mechanism, some ot the parts being broken aways Fig. 2 isa plan view of the same partly in section.

Similar reference'characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As aiding in a clearer understanding "of certain of the various features of my inven-v tion, it may here be noted that in machines of the above type it is essential that the mechanism be so constructed as to operate with as little. noise as possible. I have, therefore, found it desirable to provide a silently operating means adapted to feed the ribbon.

Referring now to the drawing, the ribbon shaft 1 has fixedly positioned thereon a grooved wheel 2. Anoscillating arm 3 is ournaled upon shaft 1 and is provided with a cam roove 4, said arm 3 being pivoted at 5 to a ink 6 which in turn is pivotally supported b rocker-arm 7,. Rocker-arm 7 is ournals to a fixed part of the machine and I is adapted to spacing mechanism or other movable parts e art to which it apbe' actuated by the key levers,

which are not shown herein as they comprise no essential part of 'my present invention. Oscillating arm 3 is provided with a ball 8 located in cam groove 4 which ball extends in the groove in wheel 2, said groove being so constructed that the ball is normally wedged between the grooved face of wheel 2and the cam face of oscillating arm 3. In this osition an upward movement of arm 3 ,wil by reason of ball 8 being frictionall-y engaged with said arm cause av slight movement of wheel 2 resultin from the frictional engagement ofball 8 t erewith.

In order to prevent a backward movement of wheel 2' a bracket 9 is provided having a cam groove 10 in which is located a second ball 11 also extending into the groove in -wheel2.g

' While in this embodiment of my invention I have preferably employed balls 8 and 11 operating in the rooved wheel 2, the oscillating arm 3 and racket 9, I do not intend to limit myselfto such emplo cut as other suitable means, such as cylindrical rollers could be advantagfou'sly used in this relation. It may be ere noted that I preferably harden the surfaces of the several groovesand also prefer to employ hardened steel balls in the above relation.

Having described my invention, the 0 eration thereof which should be largely obvious, is substantially as follows: It will be understood that an upward impulse of oscillating arm 3 will. cause shaft 2 to be rotated to a slight extent by reason of the wedging of ball 8 between grooved wheel 2 and the cam'i'ace of oscillating 'arm 3. At each forward impulse of wheel 2, ball 11 will be lifted out of contact with the grooved face of said wheel and when the movement thereof is arrested said ball 11 will wedge between said grooved face and the cam face of bracket 9', thus preventing a backward movement of wheel 2, and at the end of such'impulse said ball 8 will by gravity fall back into such position as to again act as a connecting element between said grooved wheel and the oscillating arm.

ltrwill thus be seen that I have provided a ribbon-feedin device which, while accomlishing the dbjects sought, is characterized y simplicity and efficiency, and one that will operate silently inasmuch asi'mpact or concussion of movable parts is substantially eliminated. V While I have shown and described my in-; vention in connection with a machine of the iabove type, I do notintend to limit the ap-.

plication thereof exclusively to that type nor' in fact to any type of machine, it being adapted,'1as to several ofits features-for use in a variety of relations in many other forms of machines, although peculiarly useful in the relation herein shown. A

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my mvention could be made Without departingfrom the scope thereof, I intend that all mattercontaine'd'in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be intcrpreted as illustrativand not in a limitv ing sense.

I desire it also to be understood that the language-used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein-described and all statements of the scope of the invenion, which as'a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. I v

Having described my invention, what -I claim as new and-desireto'secure by Letters.

1.' In a typewrit'ing machine,'in combination, fotatably mounted ribbon-feeding means, meansadapted to rotate said firstmentioned'means, -means free from either of the above-mentionedmeans adapted to form a connection therebetween', astatio'nary member, and means free from said supportingmember and carried thereby adapted to.

frictionally engage said ribbon-feeding means to prevent a reverse movement thereof dur-' ing the operation of said second-mentioned means. 3

2. In a typewriting machine, in combination, rotatably mounted, ribbon-feeding means, means adapted to notate said firstmentioned means, means free from either of the above-mentioned means adapted to form f ment thereof.

mounted u on said ribbon-feeding means adapted to e actuated to operate said rib-. vbon feeding means, said last named means being provided with ,a cam groove, means free from said last-mentioned means and also free from said ribbon-feeding means adapted .to form. a frictional connection therebetween, a .bracket cam groove, and means free and o crating in said annular groove to frictionally. prevent abackward movement of said ribbon-feeding means through an en' prrovided with a om said bracket in said bracket. 4. In .a typewriting machine, in combigagement with the Walls of the cam'rgroove' nation, a shaft adapted to feed the. ribbon,

an'annular member provided 'with a con-- centric groove positioned upon saidshaft, a.

movable. member journaled upon said shaft and provided with .a cam groove arranged adjacent, the groove in said annular member, means free from both of said members and interposed'therebetween to form a frictional connection wherebya movement 'of said second-mentioned 'means 'will operate to cause a movement of said shaft and thereby feed theribbon', a bracket provided with a cam groove arranged adjacent the groove in said annular member, movable means free from said bracket and also free from'said annular member adapted to form a frictional connection therebetween toprevent a backward movement of said ribbon-carrying shaft, and means for operating sald secondmentloned member.

5. In a tyipewriting machine, in -,c II ibi- 95 nation,,a rib on feeding shaft,'an annular member provided with a peripheral groove fixed upon-said. shaft, an arm journaled at one end uponsaid shaft having a cam portion arranged adjacent the peripheral groove of said annular member, an actuating rocker lever to whichithe opposite end of said arm is pivotally attached, a fixed bracket having a cam p'ortion arranged adjacent the groove of said-annular member, a ball located 1n said groove adapted to engage the cam por tion of said arm to form an actirating c011- nectlon therebetween, and a' second ball rotation of said annular member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

' (LVV. SPONSEL.

Witnesses:

WM. H. HoNIss, A NELLIE PHOENIX.-

located in said groove and engaging. the cam portlon of said bracket to prevent a reverse 

